The present invention relates to a combination of a truck bed liner and clip for retaining and securing the liner to the bed and cargo area of pickup trucks and the like. More specifically, the present invention relates to a combination of liner and clip which allows the liner to be secured in a truck bed without the use of screws, rivets, or similar fasteners.
The use of durable protective liners in pickup truck beds has become quite popular, and a number of such liners have been marketed. A problem common to the use of all such liners is how to best secure the liner to the bed. These liners are typically made of a durable plastic such as ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene, known for its strength and resistance to deformation. It has been recognized from the beginning that the usual means of securing the liner to the bed, using screws, rivets, toggle bolts, or the like, was less than satisfactory for several reasons. Many truck owners object to drilling multiple holes into their truck bed for aesthetic reasons and because of possible corrosion problems. Another well-known problem is that variations in ambient temperature causes movement of the plastic liner, as much as 0.001 inch per one degree Fahrenheit change. When the liner is firmly secured by screws, for example, temperature expansion of the liner can produce undesirable warping.
A number of attempts have been made to solve these problems, by using various liner retainers that do not require the use of fasteners that penetrate the truck bed or body. Examples are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,540,214; 4,572,568; 4,575,146; and 4,659,133. However, each of these prior art retaining means employs screw fastener type devices. Consequently, optimum flexibility of the liner is not attained, and installation or removal of the liner for cleaning or maintenance is inconvenient.
What is needed, then, is a truck bed liner that can be installed and removed quickly and without the use of screws, rivets or bolts, and which can flex under temperature changes without excessive warping.